wash out
by spacebarista
Summary: wash out: verb phrase, "to be removed by washing". Shepard has an unusual suggestion to help Kaidan relax.


AN: I was prompted to write a short fic involving Kaidan and ShanShep, and the non-sexual act of intimacy "washing the other's hair". As per usual, it got away from me. But it's cute and I love it, and I was thrilled to have a fic where Shan takes care of Kaidan for once, even if it's the third fic that's ended with them cuddling in a bed of some sort with lots of emotions. Anyway.

Enjoy! And please review if you can! Thanks for reading!

* * *

"This is so _humiliating_ ," Kaidan groaned, letting his head roll back to the edge of the tub. "Why did I ever agree to this?"

Shannon's laugh reaches him from the vanity. "Stop being so dramatic, Kaidan," she teases, lightly swatting at the back of his head. He lets his eyes flutter open and glares up at his grinning wife. She's already bound her hair for the night, already wearing her favorite blue headscarf—the same blue as his armor. "You won't regret it, you big nerd. Now, bend forward a bit."

Kaidan does as she says with a sigh, tips his head forward. He hears Shannon unhooking the shower head before a gentle cascade of warm water falls over his head. Fingers comb through his soaked hair, working some of the gel out. Shannon is careful and the touch is soothing. He's not sure how he agreed to this, but he can't argue with results so far.

It had been Shannon's idea. The entire ride home from HQ, he'd been tense, stressed out about the evaluations and possible promotions of members of his Biotics Division. Another Admiral seemed to have it out for him, and was making the process difficult. He'd even threatened to take some of Kaidan's more accomplished men if the evaluations weren't good enough. Shannon had listened as he vented, holding his free hand in one of hers and stroking the fingers of her other hand up and down his arm. When he'd finished, she'd smiled at him. Kissed the back of his hand.

"I think you could use a nice bath, Kaidan."

He'd thought she was joking. He'd let her comment slide as they got home, made and ate dinner. Kaidan worked through more reports while she showered, prepared her hair for bed. And when she appeared in the office doorway, beckoning for him to follow her, he realized his wife was serious. She'd drawn him a hot bath, helped him undress—with minimal touching and kissing—and ordered him into the tub while she got everything ready.

When the water shuts off, he can hear her humming something he vaguely recalls as some song from _Fleet and Flotilla_. "Okay, head up."

She works shampoo into his thick hair, the crisp, clean scent reaching his nose even over the damp of the room. Her nails scrape against his scalp with every move. Soon, Kaidan feels himself melting into the porcelain, sliding further into the tub. A soft hum escapes him as his eyes close on their own. Shannon moves his head as needed, but otherwise doesn't disturb him. Just massages and scratches and pets him into a state of complete relaxation. Even with his knees bent to fit in the tub, he could probably fall asleep here.

As long as Shannon doesn't stop touching him.

He groans when she pulls away, drawing a laugh out of her. "Oh, how the tables have turned," she teases him, pushing his shoulders forward and reaching for the shower head.

She starts the water before he can retort.

As before, Shannon runs her fingers through and ruffles his hair as she rinses it. When the water shuts off again, Kaidan leans back, pushing his wet hair back. He reaches for the tub edge, ready to push himself out. A gentle hand on his arm stops him.

"I'm not done yet, Kaidan. Another few minutes."

Curious, Kaidan gives in, holds still as she dips a washcloth into the water by his side. Shannon uncaps something—likely his shower gel—and starts rubbing it across his shoulders. He closes his eyes again. She hums as she moves to his back, over his shoulder blades and as far down his spine as she can get. Warm tingling spreads through him at the intimacy of it.

They've showered or bathed together many times before. Sharing water, comforting each other after grueling missions, helping each other through aching muscles and sleepy movements. Bathing was a comfort that came with shore leave more often than not. Snuggled up skin-to-skin in warm water until it cooled, touching and kissing each other and speaking in low voices. And sometimes sex was involved in both situations. Naturally, he'd helped her bathe after her discharge from the hospital. Joined her when she wanted him to—which was fairly often—so it could feel less like a dutiful task.

But he can't think of a time where she bathed him.

It feels like a big moment for them.

She rinses the soap away with the cloth, pulls him back against the tub and leans down to repeat the process over his chest. He squirms as she passes over his ribs, and turns his head to kiss her cheek when she leans down further. She hums, leans into him.

"How do you feel now?"

Kaidan hums himself as she dunks the cloth back in the water and starts wiping away the soap. "Much better. You were right."

"It happens, you know," she singsongs with a laugh, turning her own head to quickly kiss him.

When she pulls back, they gaze at each other for a moment. Kaidan gazes at her face, free of make up and clear of any hair. He could find her beautiful at any given point of the day. In fact, he often does. When she's pouring over paperwork, chewing out one of his guys for dangerous decisions in sims, stuffing snacks in her mouth between meetings, sleeping on his office sofa, arguing her points in debates, or even sweaty and maniacal in sparring matches… he thinks she's the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. But for some reason, in this moment—eyes as sleepy as his must be, flushed from the warmth and her actions, mouth open ever so slightly—she's more beautiful than usual.

Kaidan leans up and catches her lips again. The cloth drops in the water as her hand moves to the back of his neck to hold him still. He pours every ounce of love and devotion he has into the kiss. As much as he can from this angle, in a bathtub. She clutches at his wet hair and he knows she gets it all. When they break for air, Shannon rests her forehead on his, traces his cheek and jaw with the same hand that had been in his hair.

"Well," she whispers, brushing her nose against his. "I think that's enough for one day." She kisses him again, light and quick. "I'll meet you in the bedroom. It's… getting a bit too hot in here for me."

Kaidan laughs as she leaves him to finish up his nightly routine. He climbs out, wraps a towel Shannon left for him around his waist. It takes him longer than he'd like to brush his hair, teeth, and wash his face for the night. He considers shaving when his gaze falls on his reflection (choosing to ignore the slight shadows under his eyes). He could get ahead of any scruff. But he's got two days off and Shannon loves when he has a bit of a beard. So instead, he shuts off the lights and joins her in the bedroom.

She's bent over their alarm clock, probably setting it obscenely late—9:30 or 10, knowing her—so she can sleep in. So _he_ can sleep in. If he'd noticed the shadowing under his eyes, he could bet his observant wife had too. She's straightening when he comes up behind her, and lets her back right into his chest. His hands find her waist, sneak up under her tank top to touch skin.

"So, I can't convince you to get a little hotter with me?"

"Kaidan," she sighs, turning in his arms to look up at him. She drapes her arms over his shoulders. "You've been stressed out over these evaluations for days, now. You need a good night's sleep." Shannon pauses, glances down at his naked torso, still damp from the bath. "... Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" A teasing grin lights his own face, and she tries not to meet it.

"Sure. I'll go all out and everything. To reward you—" She reaches between them. "—for taking this towel off—" She undoes the knot at his waist. "—putting on some pants—" She pulls off the towel, finally smiling at his shout of indignation. "—and getting in the damn bed, Alenko!" The last part is said with a gentle push towards the dresser. They both laugh, and Kaidan follows the implied order as Shannon drops the towel in the hamper. After pulling on a dark pair of boxer briefs, he joins her in the bed.

Kaidan reaches for her but she shakes her head. "Nope," she says, lying down and gesturing to her own chest. "I'll be _your_ pillow tonight."

"Oh yeah?" He lies beside her and props his head up on his arm. "You think you can hold this weight?"

"Well, you've carried _me_ all this way," she whispers, reaching up to trail her fingers down the side of his face. "You're not much heavier. So let me take care of you."

She's entirely genuine, but Kaidan senses something else in her tone, her words. So he shifts, lays his head on her shoulder. Shannon hums. Almost immediately she has her fingers in his hair. He finds her other hand and twines his fingers with hers. The sound of her heartbeat combined with the scrape of her nails against his scalp reveal the true extent of his drowsiness to him. If he were to close his eyes right now, he'd fall right asleep. But he doesn't want to. Not yet. Not when He could enjoy this moment with his wife. With Shannon.

"Hey."

"Yes, Kaidan?"

"You take care of me every day, Shan," he mumbles, tilting his head to nuzzle at her neck. "So much more than you know."

Shannon doesn't say anything. Her fingers still card through his hair. Her other thumb strokes over his. He wants to stay awake, to hear her response, her voice, before he falls asleep. A tiny voice in his head begs her to say something just for him.

Finally, she sighs, kisses his hair. "Go to sleep, Kaidan."

Having gotten what he wants, he does. And he sleeps through the night.


End file.
